Monday, August 18, 2014

An internship to remember -- Kyndall reflects on a summer of communicating about DC SCORES

Written by Kyndall Brown Communications Intern

I never went to DC SCORES Camp as a camper, but this summer I was able to spend several afternoons under the sun with participants as an intern. My weekly visits to the SCORES camps were the highlight of my internship.

The first camp I visited was Kelly Miller. Interviewing campers and taking pictures of them while they were at camp brought back a flood of memories for me. Watching them play and practice their drills reminded me of how happy I was to have been able to be a part of DC SCORES at Anne Beers Elementary School.

Sharing the stories of campers in the program now showed me how I can use the field of media to illustrate the impact of something that I loved. I had so much fun being at camp with the campers, I forgot that I was an intern and working!

Back in the air-conditioned DC SCORES office, I learned just as much. The knowledge I gained about social media and nonprofit marketing is irreplaceable, and -- entering my sophomore year at Temple University -- there was no better time for me to be exposed to it than this summer of 2014.

There was not a task I was given this summer that was easy. Every day I came into the office, I faced another challenge. The time I spent here was so vital to my growth because I was constantly being pushed to my limits and forced to expand my way of thinking.

As the summer ends, I feel that I grew tremendously because I was constantly brought outside my comfort zone. I sharpened my skills in writing, proof-reading, and public speaking -- and learned how to post varying social media content to different platforms.

In just my second week at SCORES, I spoke at the Campaign to End Obesity Breakfast with Champions 2014. Before this event, I hadn’t been tasked with a speaking engagement for a while. So, of course, preparing to address a room of almost 100 people was a bit of a challenge. I was more nervous than ever that early Thursday morning, but I was determined to do more than my very best.

As much as this internship taught me about the field of communications, it also taught me much about myself. These past two months showed me all that I am capable of and how much more I can accomplish when I push myself to do more.

My internship at DC SCORES was the first summer internship of my college career, and helped me develop a great foundation for my future ventures as student. I couldn’t have found a better place to spend my 2014 summer than here.

In less than a week I'll be back on the road to Philadelphia to begin my sophomore year at Temple. Everything that I experienced at DC SCORES this summer I will use in a fall semester that I know will be challenging.

I also know that I am ready.

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Interested in interning like Kyndall? We are searching for our next communications intern all-star for this fall. Apply HERE.